Research Spotlight: REMINDER

Free movement of workers is a fundamental principle of the European Union and it has become an integral part of Member States’ economies and societies. REMINDER brings a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the economic, social, institutional and policy factors that have shaped the impacts of free movement and public debates about it. It aims to help European policymakers develop policy responses that inspire public trust, ensure the fairness and sustainability of free movement, and maintain inclusive policies that reduce inequalities across the continent. In particular, the project, consisting of a consortium of 13 organisations, looks at:

The nature and impacts of intra-EU mobility by assessing the drivers of intra-EU mobility and how EU mobility has affected economies and labour markets in both origin and destination countries. The project also explores the impact of the movement of EU workers for public services and welfare systems designed in different ways.

Political and media narratives about intra-EU mobility. REMINDER examines how different media portray intra-EU mobility and what factors drive individuals’ views on free movement, including narratives used in party political communications and traditional and social media. The project also examines why media narratives on intra-EU mobility differ across Member States.

The Reminder project draws on both qualitative and quantitative data. Drawing on quantitative data, Reminder will describe free movement patterns, socioeconomic impacts and public representations in a systematic manner and to explore correlations between variables. Qualitative analysis will offer opportunities to ‘see inside’ processes of individual decision-making and provide a more nuanced assessment of causal mechanisms that take into account the weaknesses of quantitative approaches. The result will be an evidence base on the nature and economic implications of EU mobility, analysis of the content and drivers of public and media debates on EU mobility and immigration of third country nationals, and an assessment of policy options to harness the benefits and mitigate the disadvantages of EU mobility and to address concerns about fairness through cost-sharing mechanisms.